For many of us, student funding can be a complicated battlefield, the outcome of which can mean being free to pursue our academic dreams or facing years of living off tinned beans and rice.

This is a quick information source and guide to student finances to set you on the path that leads away from student poverty in Denmark or abroad.

Traditional Funding: Research Councils, Foundations and Universities

Competition for the big grants that fund your degree or doctorate entirely is unsurprisingly tough. Looking for a number of smaller grants from the same sources can be a viable alternative.

Tips for applying for grants and awards:

• Start applying as soon as possible. Some institutions have early deadlines, and some funds only have one or two application rounds per year.
• If you’re applying to a charity, foundation or trust, it is a good idea to contact them to check that you are eligible before applying.
• Tailor your application: which areas of research, study or social benefit are prioritized by the grant provider?
• Avoid jargon: describe what you are doing in terms that an average member of the public could understand.
• Emphasize any potential societal benefits and the importance of the course or project for your career.
• Explain other sources of funding: if you have been awarded a grant already, you may be seen as a more credible investment by other grant providers.
• Follow up: If you get turned down, you can follow up with a polite inquiry as to why you were unsuccessful.
• Be sure to apply again using what you have learnt at the next possible round of applications.
• Be warned: applying for research funding might require an industrial scale approach and an equally large reserve of patience, time and perseverance.

PhDs in Denmark

In Denmark, many PhD positions are advertised as paid positions at universities. A full PhD programme normally lasts three years, and the position may include teaching, dissemination or other academic work as part of the employment.

There are also Industrial PhD projects, where the PhD is conducted in collaboration between a university and a private company or public organisation. These projects are supported through Innovation Fund Denmark and are relevant if your research has a strong practical or applied angle.

See Study in Denmark for more information about PhDs, Innovation Fund Denmark for Industrial PhD opportunities and University of Copenhagen’s PhD vacancies as one example of current university job postings.

Charities, Trusts and Foundations

These can be hard to discover, and some of them are very specialized. However, they can be an overlooked source of funding. The amounts are often not enough to cover your whole qualification, but you can apply to multiple institutions, and smaller grants can add up eventually.

Ask your university, department or student guidance office whether they have a list of relevant scholarships and foundations. Many Danish universities have their own grant pages for study stays, research projects, conference participation or fieldwork.

Scholarships for highly qualified non-EU/EEA students

Danish higher education institutions receive a limited number of government scholarships each year for highly qualified full-degree students from outside the EU/EEA. These scholarships can be given as full or partial tuition fee waivers and/or grants towards living costs.

The scholarships are administered by the higher education institutions themselves, so you should ask the institution of your choice for details about deadlines, requirements and application procedures.

See Study in Denmark’s scholarship overview for more information.

Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements

Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements are offered to highly qualified exchange students and young researchers who wish to study Danish language, Danish culture or other fields closely related to Denmark, such as design, architecture and environmental studies.

You can find more information through Study in Denmark’s scholarship page.

Fulbright Commission

If you are an American student or researcher in Denmark, check out Fulbright Denmark. Fulbright offers grants for American master’s and PhD-level students for an academic year of study and/or research in Denmark.

See Fulbright Denmark’s grants for American students.

Danish State Support: SU

If you are a foreign citizen, you must fulfil specific conditions in order to be granted equal status with Danish citizens and receive SU, the Danish state educational grant. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens may be able to qualify through EU rules, for example if they work in Denmark and meet the conditions as a worker under EU law.

Students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a residence permit in Denmark as students are generally not entitled to SU on that basis alone. Always check the current rules before planning your budget.

Check whether you are eligible at su.dk and read more about SU for foreign citizens.

Part-time work or entrepreneurship?

There are many study-related and non-study-related jobs available in Denmark. Find student positions at Students Online.

If you are a non-EU/EEA student, remember to check the work rules connected to your residence permit. Students in state-approved higher education programmes normally receive a limited work permit, but there are limits on how much you may work during the year.

You can read more at New to Denmark’s page about work permits for students.

University is also a great place to try to apply what you are learning and start a business of your own. Entrepreneurship and freelancing can be a flexible way to earn money and a great opportunity to develop professional skills. Being entrepreneurial doesn’t necessarily mean you’re developing nanotechnology or the next Google. You could be running a market stall, organizing events, tutoring school children or doing freelance web design.

If you are an international student, remember that freelancing or starting a business can have tax and residence permit consequences. Check the rules before you start sending invoices.

Sponsorship?

A drama student in the UK, Clementine Wade, sent out around 5,000 letters to actors, comedians and politicians, appealing for financial support, and she managed to raise around £16,000. Clementine said,

‘I spent days in the library researching names and addresses and then writing personal letters to everyone I’d listed. I enclosed a fundraising brochure with my letters, explaining who I was, what I wanted to study and why, and what I would give back. I treated it like a business pitch.’

While your letter to the Prime Minister asking for funding for a pharmaceutical MSc probably won’t get you very far, a targeted letter to the CSR departments of pharmaceutical companies might.

Don’t feel restricted to applying only to the funding that is advertised. Maximize the potential of those research proposals and applications you labored over by sending speculative applications to private companies, foundations or organisations that share your academic interests. What can you offer them? Could you act as a student ambassador? Could you contribute knowledge, analysis or a project that is useful to them? You might just walk away with funding, contacts or a job opportunity to look forward to when you’re done.